WE NEVER KNEW watching TV could be as hectic as attending Fashion Week–come Fall, you’re scrambling from one big event to the next, typing out your notes on each on the in-between cab or train ride. Now that we can stop binge-watching old shows on Netflix (and binge new ones), let’s take a deep breath and unravel a bit of all that’s happened in Geekdom so far:

Just like in Daredevil, “the incident” was name-dropped early on and often in this series. It is the important moniker given to the alien attack on New York City led by Loki’s Chitauri army in The Avengers (2012). The ramifications of that event are still clearly reverberating four years later in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

“Sweet Christmas!/Sweet Sister!”

Saying his line on Jessica Jones (Netflix)

Count how many times in this series Luke Cage (Mike Colter) utters these phrases. It is Luke’s catchphrase; it’s his “HULK SMASH.” Created along with some other Blaxploitation superheroes (Shaft, most famously) in the ’70s, this line was meant to be Marvel’s kid-friendly substitute for Luke cursing. Along with his nicknames, Power Man and Mr. Bulletproof, the line brings a smile to our faces whenever old-soul Luke drops it on us.

“I’m not for hire.”

You will repeatedly hear Cage insist that he’s “not for hire” this season. Indubitably, this is the show’s allusion to the small company founded by Cage and Danny Rand (a.k.a. Iron Fist), Heroes for Hire, Inc. in the comics. Cage and Rand lend protection and investigative services for a fee on a very kosher basis–they never accepted extralegal jobs and the company was licensed by the state of New York.

Nods to his Classic Costume

This is Luke Cage’s original costume. No way it was making it into a 2016 adaptation but look out for the way in which they cleverly managed to still wring out a scene with Luke rocking it. His self-commentary on the outfit is nothing short of hilarity.

Hammer Industries

Remember that really funny and smug jackass in Iron Man 2? He was played by Sam Rockwell and went by the name of Justin Hammer. Oh, and he and his company were Tony Stark’s chief rivals in the weapons industry. With Tony Stark out of the arms manufacturing biz altogether, it looks like Hammer Industries has finally taken the throne. Take a shot every time their name gets dropped or is seen throughout this series.

Seagate Prison

Don’t recognize this sea-engulfed prison? Oh, it’s filled with Iron Man’s MCU foes: Justin Hammer himself is supposedly still incarcerated here and so was actor Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) after the events of Iron Man 3.

“Black Mariah”

Gun-runner Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes (Mahershala Ali) yells this in a fit of rage at his cousin, councilwoman Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodward). She warns him to not call her that: here’s why.

Let’s get one thing out of the way: It was way too short. We wanted to spend more time in the Flashpoint universe: We wanted to see more of smug and rich Cisco and way, way more of Wally West a.k.a. Kid Flash getting schooled by Barry Allen a.k.a. The Flash.

In any case, Season 3’s premiere might have been titled “Flashpoint,” but the following episode is titled “Paradox,” meaning… it ain’t over! We are guessing that the ramifications of Flashpoint leave Barry with more trouble than just Iris and Joe not talking.

Now, what we loved about “Flashpoint”:

HEADLINE: “The Rival v Kid Flash” !!!Barry still has powers. We don’t know how, but we’re just happy he does!Badass Entrance– First look at Kid Flash. They stuck to the original costume!

Barry and Iris’ Meet-Cute (Foster siblings/lovebirds/lifelong best friends meeting for the first time in an alternate reality will always melt the coldest of a cynic’s heart)… Well, we’re not sure how chivalrous it is stealing a girl’s purse just to pretend to give it back:

“I’ve got to meet a friend for dinner” a.k.a. Barry feeding his archenemy, Reverse Flash, fast food like a hamster in a cage:

Aww, what a “It’s a Wonderful Life” moment, indeed. Henry and Nora Allen alive and well in 2016 and ha-ha, his parents want Barry to move out after he went through hell to save both their lives:

Ew… Barry had to wash Joe West by himself. Hope he used a loofah!

Barry’s memory flashes… A visually resonant side effect of his F-U to Father Time. He’s starting to forget his original life and the memories it contained of Iris and other loved ones:

“I got you… Whoops, thought I had you.” Perfect comedic set-up to Barry discovering Kid Flash is none other than his Wally West:

“What did you expect, a fortress?” – Wally to Barry after the latter questioned the laxness of his base of operations. A Fortress of Solitude reference?

It was soooo nice hearing Wally tell the story of how he became powered. Almost exactly akin to Barry’s, with the addition of an illegal racing car.

Star Labs is Ramon Industries in the Flashpoint universe and Cisco Ramon is the richest man in America… with his player hand strong, flying up to work in a helicopter with a honey on his arm:

LOL – Cisco goes for an easy lay-up in his own office basketball hoop… and misses:

Vibrating hand reference by Cisco:

Barry losing some memories of Cisco… Very poignant:

“Whoa, it’s like I’m really there.” – Cisco

Cisco is a health nut in the Flashpoint timeline 🙂

Barry reveals his powers to Iris and Wally West to team up against the Rival:

… and explains the Flashpoint timeline to this new team:

Caitlin! There she is!

Aww, Barry is trying to glue his old friend-family back together.

“We’re something else to each other where you come from, aren’t we?” Give it up to Candice Patton– Her tearful acting was 100% believable:

Kid Flash and the Flash, standing side by side:

“It’s like he’s a Weather Wizard or something.” – Cisco

Barry forgets… and then remembers that he’s… DRUMROLL… The Flash:

“I need you to kill my mother.” Ouch. Barry has to beg Reverse Flash to go back in time and re-kill his mom so they can restore the natural timeline:

West-Allen will always exist… in any universe or timeline:

Talk about dark humor. How many times has Michelle Harrison have had to act our her/Nora Allen’s death?

1. This episode worked because of the ever-reliable formula of Big Speech followed by Big Booms. Usually in these cases, it’s the hero delivering said speech, but the flip that it was the villain made it all the more refreshing.

2. Rick’s Change of Heart. The first half of Season 4 saw Rick struggle to come back from his costly dictator-like mistakes in Season 3. Rick and right-hand Daryl touchingly restrain Rick’s son, Carl (who had become just as ruthless), from taking a clean shot at the Governor… just so they can parlay in good faith… “I know we all can change. We can still come back. We’re not too far gone,” Rick pleads. Which brings us to…

3. Hershel’s Death – Tragic and tied for the most tear-jerking along with Dale’s, it was a death but so necessary to further the plot at this point. Several of the main characters had contracted a fast-killing flu in earlier episodes and all of them were miraculously not among the dozens who died. It was time for a dose of gravitas to be sourly delivered to our heroes. It was Hershel’s time. His well of wisdom had been imparted in full; Rick understood his message and, in turn, passed it onto the Governor.

4. Hello, Sweet Vengeance. Comics readers or not, we all knew Michonne wasn’t dying this episode. She had still not amply punished the Governor enough for his crimes against her, Andrea, Glenn, Maggie, and etcetera and etcetera. We are so happy that Michonne is the one who shish-kebabs the Governor and leaves him to turn. Also, satisfying as HECK to see each of the Gov’s all-too-eager henchmen (and women) get mauled down trying to attack our heroes’ home, especially Tara’s (let’s be honest) super-bitchy girlfriend when she was nailed dead-center in the forehead by 10-year old Lizzy while trying to kill Tyreese. MUAHAHA.

Bonus MVP points go to Daryl for using a zombie as a shield like a G!

LINE OF THE EPISODE:

“You walk through those gates, you’re one of us.”

-Rick to the Governor’s army as they ready to attack the prison

3rd Best Episode Of All-Time: A, Season 4 Episode 16

THREE Reasons We Love It:

1. The intertwining imagery of Rick’s return to righteous savagery (he was seconds from watching his son get raped) and his past Zen-ful lessons on the prison farm courtesy of Hershel.

2. The return of Hershel!

3. THROAT RIP! (NSFW GIF HERE) Rick is so hungry in the Zombie Apocalypse apparently that he’ll treat himself to some human esophagus, if he damn well pleases. I can’t decide which was more enjoyable – the dark humor and satisfaction I derived from the scene or the sheer shock value of it. Of course, on The Walking Dead, there is always more to gore than just gore for gore’s sake. Every decapitated head, every eyehole stab, throat slit… Each moment of violence on this show pounces on the emotional arcs presented that episode. For an episode hinging on Rick Grimes re-earning his Ricktatorship throne, I would say this moment sealed the deal.

LINE OF THE EPISODE:

“They’re f***ing with the wrong people.”

Messages contained in reverse in this new TV spot, along with flashes of images, reveal the exciting probable revelation of another Infinity Stone in the upcoming MCU film. Listen in forward and reverse mode from Doctor Strange himself:

“This is just the beginning”

“Time” repeated by Strange himself in different tonalities…

The Time Stone… A new Infinity Stone enters the MCU arena.

NOVEMBER 4th, Oh, won’t you come

5. Iron Fist (Netflix)… Say hello to our newest crush.

Sorry, Mike Colter, but geek love is a fickle mistress! We still love ya but we just finished Luke Cage and on we are to the next Marvel/Netflix lovechild, Iron Fist! Mike is one of the most handsome men in the world, but we can’t deny how boyishly charming Finn Jones (who plays Danny Rand a.k.a. Iron Fist)’s smile and curly goldilocks is. Oh, and Madame Gao is back.